Eternal Summer

Eternal Summer

Director: Lester Chen.
Cast: Bryant Chang, Hsiao-chuan Chang, Kate Yeung.

Yes I know ~ I am quite late ~ but definitely not too late! It has been a couple of years since this movie got tremendous raves and I have no idea why it took me that long to finally get a copy.

I am not a fan of Chinese films (aside from the works of Wong Kar Wai) , maybe I just don’t like how Mandarin  sounds. But I tell you, this film was truly exceptional.

There is nothing new with the story , Juan loves Pedro, Pedro Loves Maria —-> Heath Loves Michelle , Heath Loves Jake (naalala ko naman tuloy si Heath whaaaaaaaaaaa…. buhuhuhuh) —> We’ve seen this triangle before in a number of  films, but what sets this film apart is the nuanced storytelling, the outstanding performances and the dramatically executed ending.

Cinematography was perfect to accomplish the needed mood for the movie. The camerawork was good, colors used were sad, gloomy and subdued.

Similar to Ang Lee’s films, the director also used nature as one major element. In contrast, this film’s director didnt use nature to spectacle the audience. Instead, he used it as an aide to express the delicate emotions that the characters cant even utter.

I was so consumed with the movie that I even used it as my avatar when I went back to work Monday.

stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:05:58 AM): ano yang avatar mo?
van aguas (1/28/2008 7:06:37 AM): taiwanese film
van aguas (1/28/2008 7:06:40 AM): eternal summer
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:06:44 AM): ah oki
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:06:51 AM): kamukha ng type cast
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:06:52 AM): hahaha
van aguas (1/28/2008 7:07:10 AM): nyahahahahah …. ako pa maglalagay ng typecast… wehehhe
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:07:23 AM): kaya nga eh, kakantiyawan sna kita

van aguas (1/28/2008 7:11:35 AM): anyway…. para akong gago kagabi… iyak ako ng iyak dahil sa avatar kong yan
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:11:40 AM): bkit?
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:11:42 AM): ganda?
van aguas (1/28/2008 7:11:45 AM): nakakaloka kasi
van aguas (1/28/2008 7:12:05 AM): sobrang subdued… nakakalunod ang mga emotions… sakal na sakal kasi yung mga characters
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:12:15 AM): haaaayyyy
stopburn fly (1/28/2008 7:12:19 AM): ano storya?
van aguas (1/28/2008 7:12:27 AM): teka

O.. eto ang kuwento ..  Jonathan and Shane are inseparable.  Their friendship that started as a simple agreement that Jonathan had with their teacher developed into a special feeling that they themselves are oblivious of. Then came Carrie, the new girl who had feelings for Jonathan. Their one day getaway in Taipei ended in a hotel, where Carrie’s sexual persuasion was heavily rejected. It wasn’t hard for her to realize that Jonathan is indeed in love with Shane and even confronted Jonathan about it.
Shane was at first jealous with Jonathan’s friendship to this new girl. His effort  to know Carrie,  brought about by his contentiousness,  ended in  a relationship with her. The couple tried to keep it from Jonathan, with different reasons for their concerns of course. Eventually, the affair was revealed to Jonathan leading them to a chaos of emotions.

 The soundtrack used throughout the film was classical music. I love the score that was used at the ending, it was perfect to accompany the tears till credits …hehehe. The choice of music was perfect for the first part and also for the cheesy part. It failed on some parts though, nevertheless, it was still a good move.

The movie had a very slow pacing on the second half. I guess that was intended to establish the director’s style and set-up the atmosphere for the gloomy ending. The slow paced part didnt ruin the movie at all. I completely understand that it is possible to wrap it all up in an hour or less, but the pacing for me is just perfect, it is a joy to experience minutes of their agony and pain.

The movie was simple, quiet and moody but you could get drowned with all the emotions and the untold feelings.

The actors were perfect for the roles. Bryan Chang, wore Jonathan’s shoes as if their feet are of same the size. The pain on his eyes is achingly perfect. He was almost transparent, where you can see the emotional torture brought by the all-consuming love that he has for his pal. Shane, on the other hand, was even portrayed better.  He was able to radiate a strong and masculine aura and was even better in exposing the character’s weakness, fear of loss etc. You would be contaminated by his confusion, with what he’s supposed to feel towards Jonathan.

 Katie Yeung’s character remains a mystery for us. I wont settle calling her a poor victim, or just a witness of this tragic love. She’s also not a Regina George at all trying to antagonize the relationship between those two. Her role might be subtle but was heavily substantial. She for me was the catalyst, the element needed to stimulus the change. I think she has better understanding on what the other two characters feel for each other and at the same time helpless, because she is also in dillemma with her own feelings and this is something that she wont be able to grapple.

Nyeta ang sakit! This is not just a gay film and I know that a lot of you guys could really relate to this. Jonathan loves Shane so much, but is afraid to tell him because he doesnt want to lose him as his friend. Shane, is very much aware of Jonathan’s feelings but can’t equate it since he is not sure of what he really feels and at the same time in love with Carrie. Jonathan wants to get out of Shane’s life so that he could eliminate himself as the only conflict and to fulfill an attempt to get rid of his compelling emotions towards his best friend. Shane doesnt want to lose Jonathan, because he is the only one who has been there all his life, he understands him and… nyeta naman tsong oh… alam ko… he wont survive without Jonathan’s love.  But if he choses Jonathan, he would lose Carrie, na mahal naman nya and like Jonathan also understands him. Syet ang hirap! Love talaga oh! Ang sakeeet!!!

Love is indeed the ultimate oxymoron. It could complete you and could also tear you apart. ugh!

PSSssssTTTtttT!!!!

Oi! Hoy! You! Yes YOU! You stole da cookie from d cookie jar!!! Weeheheheheh ….. Miss nyo ko noh! Chos! Para ba namang may nakahalata ng pagkawala ko! hikbi!!! hikbi!!! in english … sob!! sob!!

OO! Ako nga ito! Manigas Kayo!

                                                  - JOY VIADO (Hiling)

Welcome niyo naman ako ng isang masigabong na palakpakan, hagikgikan at i-french kiss mo sa ilong ang katabi mo to celebrate! Let me start my comeback with a malupit na question….. "ANONG CHIKA FILIPINASH????"

As usual, eto  ang excerpt ng interview ko sa sarili ko, na na-publish sa Daily Inquirer…. paki-inquire na lng din sila kung kailan at kung nasaan ang kopya …. limited release kasi ….. natabunan ng balita tungkol sa mga naputukan at nawalan ng internal organs nung Bagong Taon.

AKO : Kamusta Kaibigan? Anung Chika?

VAN: Mabuti naman po!!! …..Bibigyan ko na lng po kayo ng pang autograph na sagot sa pangalawang tanong nyo …uhmmm …….. anung chika ? ….. uhmmmm "many to mention".

AKO : Kay tagal mong nawala kaibigan … anu ba ang iyong pinagka-abalahan?

VAN: Ang chaka naman! English naman daw para maiba… may spelling and grammar check naman tong computer!

AKO : OK! Answer me the way you understand my question please.

VAN: Could you please repeat it again, one moment more for the 2nd time around?

AKO : Nyeta ka! You were absent with no excuse! Where's your excuse slip. Give me a valid reason. Where, what, when and why. Please be specific and answer in not less than 5 sentences.

VAN: Okie… Pumunta akong Japan, to find out kung andun nga ang sagot sa kahirapan. Only to find out na gagawin lng pala akong pole ng mga exotic dancer . uso kasi ngayon dun yung mga ethnic dances. Aside from being a pole, suma-sideline din akong kawayan sa tinikling. Katulong ng Yakuza, labandera ni Utada Hikaru, handler ni Ken Watanabe, tagalagay ng malaking pulang bilog sa puting tela para gawing flag. Nautusan din po ako na i-translate ang lahat ng pagmumura ng Pilipino into Japanese. Pinabilang din po sa akin ang lahat ng hapon na may tattoo ng dragon at japanese characters sa buong japan!

AKO : But seriously, what happened?

VAN:Seriously?…. Well…. I was trying to find myself. The last 3 months were excruciating. I was bounded with dilemmas and was miserably tortured by unexpected chaos. My so called life, as far as I dreamed of, was supposed to be calm and serene. But all the floating clouds, birds singing and flowers blooming were taken away from me. My life was twisted and it was even twisted more, twisted severely until they cant twist it anymore. I was a helpless sheep trapped in a huge barbed-wire while I try to cross over to the green fields. The sorrow was unbearable. I was lost in a poem with no meter and no rhyme. I fell deep. I am too tired get out …. but… but….

AKO : but……..

VAN: but….. but….. but that's all… not buts…. because that's all….

AKO : Hinde kita maintindihan kaibigan …. What was that all about?

VAN: Wala…. In short…busy ako…. hehehehheheeh …..

AKO : Walang kwenta… O ano pa… anong mga nangyari sa iyo …..

VAN: Tumaba po ako ng kaunti… mga 156 grams po ang nadagdag sa timbang ko …. Hinde na po ako masyadong tsismoso… Napagtanto ko po kasi this past few days na at the end of the day, after I squeeze all the slurpy chika in tinseltown… walang maidudulot na maganda ang chismis sa buhay ko! napapagastos lng ako sa pagbili ng tabloid araw-araw para basahin sa jeep! Walang Bearing!!! charot!

AKO : OO tama ka! Katulad ng sinabi mo … wala ka nga talagang bearing …. Pwedeng magrequest? I mean … pwede bang magmaka-awa?

VAN: Sure!

AKO : Pwede ba nating lagyan ng sense ang usapang ito!?

VAN: Sure! Sense lang pala eh. Yung kapatid ko nga pala… believe it or not… nakaka-kita sya ng multo… nakakaramdam ng mga nawawalang espiritu! May sixth sense baga!

AKO : Punyeta! Ang korni mo!

VAN: Wehehehehehhe!!!

AKO : Next question n lng….  kamusta naman ang 2007 mo!?

VAN: So far …. nagpapasalamat pa rin po ako at buhay pa po ako. Humihinga, kumpleto pa ang katawan  nabawasan ang tigyawat, lumobo ang tiyan, nag-gupit ng kuko at naglalagay na po ako ng SUAVE.

AKO : Any unforgettable experiences…….

VAN: Aside sa nahold-up ako sa Malate, na-snatchan ng cellphone sa Taguig, nabugbog ng mga pariwarang cuties sa Katipunan, nagbuhat ng 7 meters na linoleum sa Divisoria, nawala sa Baguio, nawalan ng 3k bonus ng dahil sa traffic sa EDSA, naglakad mula Sauyo hanggang bahay namin sa Tandang Sora, nag gate crash sa debut ng di namin kakilala, nagtulak ng kotse sa Marikina, nakatikim ulit ng Bertdee keyk after 3 years at nagpagupit ng buhok sa parlor for the first time  …. uhmmmm so far wala namn po akong experience for this year na unforgettable ……

AKO : nyek! ….

VAN: ay!

AKO : o!?

VAN: Meron pala! I can't forget that day my crush smiled back at me! haaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!

AKO : Nyeta ka! Pwede bang sa susunod… iwas-iwasan mo ng interbyuhin ang sarili mo! nakakaburat ka!

VAN: ha? y? how come…. on what grounds did you base that accusation… that is … that is …….

AKO:

VAN: …. hoy?

AKO:

VAN: …….. hoy …………..

AKO:

VAN: hello … hellooooo… helloooo

AKO:

VAN: Yak! Nawala! Walang atang signal dito!